I was reading up on Great Zimbabwe on varies sites on google when I came upon this statement on one of the sites:

Considerable archaeological research has not revealed signs of the presence of any people foreign to Africa in these ruins other than a few traders or visitors. The evidence indicates that these vast ruins were built by substantially the same people as those living in Zimbabwe today.

As I was reading this I was wondering why these archaeologist were trying to find the presence of a different race other than black in the first place. If an Ancient Civilization is built in the middle of Africa of all places then why do you need to gather evidence after evidence to prove that the people who built it were black? If they found a civilization in the middle of Europe do they waste time trying to figure out if the people who built it were white, or does this only pertain to Africans?

Here's the link for the rest of the article which is actually pretty good except for thatexcerpt above:


http://www.encounter.co.za/article/81.html

I took the liberty Aryek, to put your points to the website. This was their reply:

The description on the site is a reflection of the views of the World
Heritage organisation as well as many Zimbabwean tourist brochures.
Due to the many legends about the ruins and its origins, it is correct to
specifically mention the fact that it was built by the Zimbabweans
themselves and not by outsiders. If it were not so, your point would have
been valid.

Good topic, once again it's imperative we point out these subtle implications of inferior African cultures.

Im satisfied with the response Athaba.

Let me explain. A long time in Rhodesia the whites insisted on the great Zimbabwe ruins being the work of ANYONE but Africans. They had all sorts of theories, what they at the website called "legends" were the accpeted version given to Africans in schools and textbooks. A generation of Africans grew up believing it wasnt possible for Africans to do that.

Therefore in order to reestablish the truth one has to analyse and critically dismiss other possiblities.

Like when Diop credited Black Africans with being the Ancient Egyptians, he started by exploring all other possible theories and smashing them to peices leaving eventually.... the truth.

So I am satisfied with that response. Good on you to take them up on it though.niceone.gif



Aryek

If you travel about older sites and look at older textbooks you will see all sorts of things that will wind you up even more... They tried all sorts of nonsens, the ultimate extension of this is crediting the South American civillisations to ALIENS of all things. Africa too. Think Stargate LOL. It sounds funny but its because the idea of black people building anything offends their sense of superiority. Same thing here.

errrrr no

where did you get that one from??

Was Diop a whitey??or you deliberately misunderstanding me?? That was the only specific example I gave of research so please explain

After Mugabe came in Everything in the country was Africanised and set right, Salibury to Harare, Fort Victoria to Harare, Wanky to Hwange etc etc. Who actually did that particularresearch... I dont know. I am familiar with the methodology I described though.

I did not!!!

I said they were the ones who wrote the textbooks who created the myths and sought out those other explainations...

I never mentioned who rewrote them or corrected it because I simply dont know. What I do know is that EVERY possible and completely impossible idea was bandied about. Who finally setteled on what is obvious to all is beyond my Ken.



Cheick Anta Diop wrote "The African Origin of civillisation" He is a famous writer...
That work, one of his most famous, goes into how the Egyptians were whitewashed over the years and how all the European historians had changed what was in front of them or simply refused to see it and how the truth was lost. He examinesa few(I think 7)of the most credible alternatives and porves conclusively why they make no sense. Its a good book.

Ok DM!niceone.gif

Thanks for the book info; I'm reading so much these days i don't know if i'll ever have the time to read yet another one though!

Athaba

I actually picked it up because someone here recommended it to me. niceone.gif

Good stuff, a bit dated now because as someone said, we now take it for granted that they were black... But still very worth reading.

Oh, god. I was googling information on Great Zimbabwe, and stumbled onto stormfront. These idiots are actually trying to argue that GZ is the work if Nordics! No sh*t! Some of their other, less wild theories are that it was built by Jews or Arabs, or that it is merely an anomoly. The original poster was right--racists want to believe it was anyone but the Africans.:X

Aryek the reason is the first westerner to discover great zimbabwe (a german man). Thought it was built by foreigners, the thinking then was the structure was just too advanced to be built by the locals.

But now those theories have been long disproved. On a different note i'm actually in the same bloodline with the family that ruled at great zimbabwe. But thats just history now.